Sports News and Trade Rumors: Pro Sports Daily

Oilers alter practice plans due to lack of bodies

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November 20

Edmonton Journal

"It was the weariness that did Mike Comrie in. The mystery of his lack of energy was finally solved when a blood test revealed that the Edmonton Oilers veteran has mononucleosis. As a result, Comrie will not return to the lineup until the infection has cleared his system. "He won't play or practise. You have to let it run its course," said head coach Pat Quinn, who had to change his best laid plans on Thursday. Plan A was a video session to be followed by a practice, but there were just eight forwards able to skate along with six defencemen. "They think, based on the blood tests, this could have been going on for a couple of weeks," Quinn said. Comrie first missed a game on Oct. 24 with ..."

Gilbert receives message loud and clear

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November 20

Edmonton Journal

"It was the most uncomfortable place Tom Gilbert had sat in for a long time, but after he was benched during Wednesday's game at Rexall Place, the Edmonton Oilers defenceman vowed he'd work his way back into the lineup. Oilers head coach Pat Quinn, who parked Gilbert for all but seven minutes and 41 seconds of the 6-4 come-from-behind win over the Colorado Avalanche, figured there was plenty of blame to go around. Who could argue with him? As of Thursday morning, the Oilers had been tagged with a beastly 70 goals against. Only the Los Angeles Kings(70), Toronto Maple Leafs(71) and Carolina Hurricanes (75) were in the same neighbourhood. The Kings, however, are still sitting pretty in the ..."

Home cookin'?

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November 20

Edmonton Sun

"It flu right past. But they are still a little woozy. That can be a residual symptom when you go 1-3-3 on a seven-game road trip. While the Edmonton Oil Kings mostly rid themselves of the flu that ripped through their dressing room -- and mostly got their roster back in order -- they continued to struggle racking up two-point games. "Well, obviously it didn't calculate into the points we wanted," said head coach Steve Pleau yesterday. "But we competed hard and we were in every game. "Five on five, we've been pretty good. Our special teams aren't going very well right now. That's something we have to continue to work on and something we've got to fix." The power play has struggled all ..."

Wilson's hit on Oiler is headed for debate

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November 20

Denver Post

"When Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson drilled Edmonton Oilers captain Ethan Moreau with a big hit to the head Wednesday, it touched off approximately the 10,000th debate on the "head shots" topic this NHL season. The issue continues to dominate much of the chatter regarding any proposed rules changes, with league general managers saying they may propose new guidelines to be voted upon at the next board of governors meeting. Proponents of stiffer penalties and/or new guidelines for hits to the head point to the kind that Wilson laid on Moreau, saying they represent a heightened danger level given the acknowledged bigger, faster players of today. Others, such as former player, GM and current ..."

Oilers disabled list gets longer

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November 20

Edmonton Sun

"The best the Edmonton Oilers could ice yesterday was a skeleton crew of 13 skaters as their injury situation goes from bad to worse to ridiculous. Just one day after they were starting to get some bodies back and posted a crucial win over Colorado, they were rocked again by news of Mike Comrie's mononucleosis, Ethan Moreau's potential concussion, Shawn Horcoff's recurring shoulder trouble and various other afflictions to Liam Reddox, Sam Gagner, Lubomir Visnovsky and ... well, let head coach Pat Quinn tell it. His post-practice media availability sounded like a cross between M*A*S*H and Abbott and Costello. "We were going to have a video session before practice, but it turned out we didn't ..."

Wilson's hit on Oiler is headed for debate

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November 20

Denver Post

"When Avalanche defenseman Ryan Wilson drilled Edmonton Oilers captain Ethan Moreau with a big hit to the head Wednesday, it touched off approximately the 10,000th debate on the "head shots" topic this NHL season. The issue continues to dominate much of the chatter regarding any proposed rules changes, with league general managers saying they may propose new guidelines to be voted upon at the next board of governors meeting. Proponents of stiffer penalties and/or new guidelines for hits to the head point to the kind that Wilson laid on Moreau, saying they represent a heightened danger level given the acknowledged bigger, faster players of today. Others, such as former player, GM and current ..."

Oilers' Mike Comrie has mono

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November 19

Edmonton Journal

"Add Mike Comrie to the list of ailing Edmonton Oilers. The veteran has mononucleosis and will not be back in the lineup until it has cleared from his system. He was tested after he struggled to regain his energy following a bout with flu. That he is asthmatic only complicated matters. The Oilers racked their man games lost to 120 on Wednesday — a tally that will continue to escalate. They had just eight forwards who were able to practice."

Moreau hit raises Oil's ire

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November 19

Edmonton Journal

"The two zebras didn't call Colorado Avalanche rookie defenceman Ryan Wilson for either a shoulder block or flying elbow to Edmonton Oilers captain Ethan Moreau's skull on Wednesday, but coach Pat Quinn thought it was as obvious as the grey in his hair. "Head shot, what can you say?" said Quinn. "You see those a lot these days," sighed Oilers defenceman Steve Staios. Needless to say, Wilson felt he was the innocent party. "I thought it was a clean hit, and so did the refs," said Wilson, who didn't get a minor penalty from either Paul Devorski, one of the NHL's best officials, or Tom Kowal, but he did wind up fighting angry bull Zack Stortini, who raced to Moreau's defence. Moreau, who ..."

First quarter familiar

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November 19

Edmonton Journal

"The temptation, at first glance, is to see the first quarter of the 2009-10 Edmonton Oilers season as an eerily depressing rerun of the same chunk of the '08-09 campaign. Night-in, night-out, or nearly there. After 22 games last season, the Oilers were 10-10-2; this year, after Wednesday's 6-4 win over the Colorado Avalanche, they are 9-10-3. Last year, the club sprinted from the gate to a 4-0 start, then lost the next five straight before settling into an up-and-down pattern of mediocrity. This year's Oilers model can't point to a similar hot streak, but the early-season losing accelerated into a 2-10 cannonball before they pulled out of it at Rexall Place, bailing out backup goalie Jeff ..."

Oilers beat Avalanche 6-4

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November 19

Edmonton Journal

"The Edmonton Oilers were down to nine forwards and five defenceman, and the tenderfoot minding the net had surrendered four goals on his first nine shots. For all that, the Edmonton Oilers managed to rally for a 6-4 victory over the weary Colorado Avalanche --much to the relief of goaltender Jeff Deslauriers. "That wasn't my best game, but the guys were on my side," he said. Deslauriers, who got the nod for a rare start in place of Nikolai Khabibulin, saw his save percentage drop from .937 to .912 after Wednesday's workout at Rexall Place but his record improve to 2-1-1. The Oilers scored four straight goals on Colorado netminder Peter Budaj, starting with a late second-period marker from ..."

Digging out of Avalanche

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November 19

Edmonton Sun

"It wasn't so much a battle of the backups between Jeff Deslauriers and Peter Budaj last night, but rather a couple of backups who were battling the puck. Fortunately for Deslauriers, Edmonton's cavalry was better. They rattled off three straight goals to bail out their goalie and overcome a 4-2 deficit to beat the visiting Avalanche 6-4. It was a gritty comeback if there ever was one. The Oilers were down 4-2 late in the second and everything was going wrong. They had just given up two quick goals, they weren't getting any goaltending and they were down to nine forwards after Mike Comrie came up sick, Zack Stortini had to sit for 17 minutes for instigating and Ethan Moreau left the game ..."

Sullen Budaj takes blame for loss to Oilers

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November 19

Denver Post

"On a night when Avalanche goalie Peter Budaj fought the puck, the puck emerged the decisive victor. On a night when the Avs had a two-goal lead and two subsequent 5-on-3 power-play advantages, they decided to get more charitable than Bill Gates' foundation and dropped a 6-4 decision to the Edmonton Oilers on Wednesday night. With the five goals he gave up on 32 shots, Budaj has allowed nine goals in fewer than five periods of work in the past week. This might explain his hunched posture and the muttering gestures to himself in the locker room afterward. "Pucks were going through me," Budaj said. "We score four goals on the road, we should win. I was in the right position a few times, but ..."

Deslauriers to start in net vs Avs

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November 18

Edmonton Journal

"Jeff Deslauriers will get a rare start in Edmonton Oilers' net tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. Deslauriers, who has seen action in just three of the Oilers 21 games this season, will face the Avalanche in the opening instalment of a five-game homestand. "I'm pretty excited," said Deslauriers, who has not played a regular season game at Rexall this campaign. He played in Nashville, in Vancouver and in Ottawa and is 1-1-1 with a .937 save percentage. He had two starts on home ice last season."

Oil looks forward to return of grinders

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November 18

Edmonton Journal

"J.F. Jacques is set to start practising with the team, and not far behind him will be Ryan Stone. That means the Edmonton Oilers will soon have more size and sandpaper back in the lineup. Jacques, who last played on Nov. 2, has been recovering from back spasms while Stone, who suffered a knee injury on Oct. 19, had arthroscopic surgery to remove torn meniscus cartilage and is skating again. "I'll start throwing my body around at practice so I can clear out any (mental hurdles) before I get into a game," said Stone, who locked down a roster spot with his pre-season play, then continued to be one of the Oilers' more consistent energy players. Despite playing just eight games, Stone is still ..."

Homestand a chance for Oilers to make up ground

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November 18

Edmonton Journal

"It was easier for the Edmonton Oilers to catch the flu than it was for them to catch fire through their first 20 games. Now they find themselves playing catch-up. Home ater a five-game road trip on which the club collected just four points, the Oilers open a fivegame stretch at Rexall Place tonight against the Colorado Avalanche. It won't be easy. Each of their next eight games are against Western Conference teams. All eight sit above the Oilers in the standings. "We have some things for fivegame segments that we're trying to achieve and we're off that pace. We know that. So do the players," said head coach Pat Quinn. "So we're trying to keep our mind on what we're trying to accomplish and ..."

There's depleted, then there's the Oilers

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November 18

Edmonton Sun

"Cause of death matters very little to a stiff. Murder, suicide, accident, what difference does it make when you're already in the box? So while the illness and injury pandemic that swept through the Oilers dressing room is at least partly to blame for their fast-fading pulse, there's no point using crutches as a crutch. Because another three weeks like the last three weeks and it won't much matter what the CSI crew discovers. Dead is dead. "It's big, there's no question," head coach Pat Quinn said of a crucial five-game home stand that begins Wedneday when the slumping and tired Oilers face off against the slumping and tired Colorado Avalanche. "We're behind schedule as far as where we ..."

Arsene's journey hits high point

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November 17

Edmonton Journal

"They didn't stop the game to acknowledge Dean Arsene's first shift in his first regular-season NHL game after all the bus rides through the minor-league towns through nine long years, but the entire Edmonton Oilers bench knew how special a night it was for him. "How did it feel? Awesome," said the 29-year-old defenceman, who played nine shifts, 6-1/2 minutes, getting into the Oilers lineup when winger Robert Nilsson wasn't deemed medically fit to replace the injured Sam Gagner who couldn't go either. Arsene and Jason Strudwick split, for the most part, the sixth Dman role throughout the shootout win by the Columbus Blue Jackets. "Right before I went out for the pre-game skate I was told by ..."

Battle of the millenia: Quinn vs. Hitchcock

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November 17

Edmonton Journal

"Only 16 men have ever coached 1,000 or more NHL games and two of them were calling the shots Monday night--No. 5 Pat Quinn and No. 15 Ken Hitchcock. Blue Jackets coach Hitchcock is at 1002, the Edmonton Oilers' Quinn at 1,338, and counting. Hitchcock can remember his 1,000th game like it was yesterday, which it almost was -- just six days ago, Remembrance Day, a 9-1 drubbing by the Detroit Red Wings. You don't forget those games. Quinn's memory of his milestone achievement is a little hazier. "I know guys who can remember a golf game 10 years ago ... what iron they used. That stuff doesn't come into my mind," shrugged Quinn, who had no idea about his 1,000th game. It took place on Oct. 25, ..."

Shootout King stymies Oilers

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November 17

Edmonton Journal

"The critics say the shootout is a gimmick, not a game, more hokey than hockey. But Columbus Blue Jackets goalie Mathieu Garon has never made any apologies for his ridiculous skill in the kitschy one-on-one battles, and after beating his former Edmonton Oilers' teammates on Monday, it was business as usual for the Shootout King. He's now 18-4, the best ever, stopping 61of 75 shots. Garon stopped three of four shootout attempts by the Oilers-- Patrick O'Sullivan, Dustin Penner and Gilbert Brule -- only allowing Ales Hemsky's stick-side bullet, and the Jackets won it 3-2 on Jakub Voracek's roof job on Nikolai Khabibulin. Fedor Tyutin slipped one through the Oiler netminder's pads earlier in ..."

Squandered opportunities

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November 17

Edmonton Sun

"They probably could have put the goal up on the scoreboard the moment Andrew Cogliano skated over to the penalty box in the third period. The way things have gone for the Edmonton Oilers on this five-game road trip, it was predictable that on the ensuing power play the Columbus Blue Jackets would tie the game, which they went on to win 3-2 in a shootout. The Oilers had just squandered a power-play opportunity of their own moments earlier, during which Ethan Moreau rang a shot off the crossbar. "It's a game of inches," said Edmonton defenceman Sheldon Souray. "Sometimes you get the breaks and sometimes you don't. But when you work hard, usually the hockey gods are a little kinder to you. ..."

Edmonton Oilers' Gagner iffy for tonight's game against Columbus

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November 16

Edmonton Journal

"Sam Gagner, the Edmonton Oilers' second-line centre, might not play Monday night against the Blue Jackets. "Lower-body injury," said coach Pat Quinn. Gagner skated early in the practice Monday morning but left before it was over. He played 13:11 in Atlanta on Sunday, about three minutes less than his normal average, but that was because he didn't have a strong game. He only played 8:48 at even strength, the second-least time of the forwards. Linemate Mike Comrie had the least ice-time 5-on-5, just 7:51 against the Thrashers. If Gagner, who is fourth in team scoring (11 points in 20 games), can't play, Robert Nilsson will take his spot in the forward group, or they will dress seven ..."

Souray back at work

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November 16

Edmonton Journal

"Veteran blue-liner Sheldon Souray returned to the Edmonton Oilers' starting lineup on Sunday, playing his first NHL game in five weeks after recovering from a concussion. Dean Arsene, meanwhile, took the pre-game warm-up, but didn't make his NHL regular-season debut. Souray returned to action after going out on Oct. 8 when he piled into the boards face-first after he stepped on the errant stick of Calgary Flames captain Jarome Iginla. Arsene, who has played nine years of pro hockey in the minors, skated for 20 minutes, but later took his jersey off and put on a shirt and tie. "Took a while to get into the rhythm, but I had a pretty steady partner (Steve Staios)," said Souray, who led the ..."

Oilers fail to finish off tired Thrashers

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November 16

Edmonton Journal

"The Edmonton Oilers failed to take advantage of three full days of rest on the road as the dog-tired Atlanta Thrashers soldiered through their third game in about 90 hours for a 3-2 victory on Sunday afternoon. Slava Kozlov ripped a 20-footer past the glove of Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin with eight minutes left in the game as the Thrashers gutted out a victory before a sparse gathering of an announced 11,091 that looked more like 6,000 fans in the tomb-like Philips Arena. The Oilers, who have lost three straight games and six of their last seven, should have had their hands around the Thrashers' throats. But they were swallowing hard as Max Afinogenov tied the game in the last ..."

Oilers fail to capitalize

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November 16

Edmonton Sun

"They had been in town waiting around half a week for this contest. Yet the Edmonton Oilers were unable to exploit a quirk in the schedule and fell 3-2 to the Atlanta Thrashers, who were playing their third game in four days. "It's disappointing," said Oilers centre Shawn Horcoff. "In a lot of ways we seemed to be in a lot of these games, but we've been unable to finish them. We had opportunities to score and right now, we're not capitalizing. The puck's just not going in." Vyacheslav Kozlov scored the game winner 12 minutes into the third period, converting a centring feed from Todd White and firing a shot past Oilers goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin. The Oilers had a number of chances to tie ..."

Kozlov gets first goal, Thrashers win fourth straight

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November 16

Atlanta Journal-Constitution

"It took Slava Kozlov 17 games to get his first goal of the season. It couldn't have come at a better time. Kozlov's tie-breaking goal with 8:01 remaining gave the Thrashers a 3-2 victory over Edmonton on Sunday. It was Atlanta's fourth straight win and third in the last four days. "It's very exciting," Kozlov said. "First one for me and game-winning for the team. It's a huge win for us. It was a slow start for me and hopefully I'm going to pick it up." The Thrashers (10-6-1, 21 points) moved into second place in the Southeast Division, behind Washington, and are tied for sixth in the Eastern Conference. More importantly, the Thrashers improved to 4-4 at home, winning three straight at ..."

Supporting cast key to Kovy's happiness

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November 15

Edmonton Journal

"Don Waddell, keeper of the Atlanta Thrashers' purse, knew Marian Hossa wasn't going to stick around, but he hopes Ilya Kovalchuk has more ties to bind him than just money. "He's been here seven years ... this is the only team he's played on. He lives in Atlanta(summer).He built a beautiful home on a 15-acre parcel in the city," said Waddell, the Thrashers vice-president and general manager, who just has to sell his captain on the notion there is light at the end of a dark tunnel with some good young players to surround him--defence-men Zach Bogosian and Tobias Enstrom, centre Brian Little, forward Evander Kane and goaltender Ondrej Pavelec. Even if the Thrashers give their superstar winger ..."

Arsene more than ready for action

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November 15

Edmonton Journal

"Dean Arsene knows Sheldon Souray might wake up this morning and say "you know, my head is fine," which means Arsene's dream of finally playing an NHL game at 29, after 442 in the minors, will be cruelly dashed. But the Springfield Falcons captain --who was summoned from the farm late Friday night to play against the Atlanta Thrashers today should the concussed Souray not be able to go for a 17th straight game--still looked like a kid on Christmas morning after practice on Saturday. "You know, I've never even been called up from the minors. This is my ninth year of pro. I really didn't know what to do when (farm coach) Rob Daum told me I was coming up after our game with Bridgeport. Felt ..."

From Russia with gloves

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November 15

Edmonton Journal

"Ilya Kovalchuk walks to work every day with a safety boot on his broken right foot, takes it off and shoves his sore extremity into a skate boot. It makes one point about his pain threshold, while he's racked up another seven in his last two games. "It is fun, yes, to play with him," said Russian training-camp invite Maxim Afinogenov, who quickly said "da" when asked if he'd like to play on the right side with the Atlanta captain, while centre Nik Antropov, a summer free-agent signee, wasn't about to pass up the chance either. Kovalchuk has played 10 games and has 12 goals and 17 points. Afinogenov, who went months between goals in Buffalo last year, has six, and 16 points. Antropov has no ..."

More tough luck for Pisani

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November 15

Edmonton Sun

"If Fernando Pisani didn't have bad luck, he wouldn't have any luck at all. Yesterday, the Edmonton Oilers forward left the team and went home due to complications with ulcerative colitis. "He'll go see his doctor in Edmonton," said Oilers general manager Steve Tambellini. "I'm not sure what the next steps are for him, but his time away is determined to be indefinite at this point." Back injury Pisani had just recently returned to the lineup from a back injury. He's played just six games this season, having yet to register a point. Click here to find out more! Last year the local product broke his ankle crashing into the end boards against the Detroit Red Wings, limiting him to just 38 ..."

Moreau finding his stride

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November 15

Edmonton Sun

"For a time, Ethan Moreau didn't look right. The Edmonton Oilers captain had stopped playing with reckless abandon, wasn't a physical force and rarely figured in outcomes. However, Moreau seems to have found his game on the road. "For me, skating is everything and I had some minor problems with my ankle and my groin and I didn't have a good stride for a while," said Moreau. "We also had that couple of weeks where everyone was battling the flu and our energy was down. "I just feel a lot better. For me everything is skating and I just had to be patient, I knew I was eventually going to feel 100%. Now I do and I'm feeling well the last couple of games, I felt really good." Moreau has played ..."

Pisani relegated to sick bay

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November 14

Edmonton Journal

"So, how are things going for the sick and lame Edmonton Oilers? They lost a player, Fernando Pisani, on Thursday. It was an off-day. Pisani's teammates came to trainer Ken Lowe to tell him that the stoic, that the non-complaining winger wasn't feeling well. They determined his ulcerative colitis had flared up, so he was sent home--a day after defenceman Denis Grebeshkov limped back to Edmonton on a sprained left knee that could keep him out of the lineup until Christmas. Grebeshkov is out for four to six weeks with a partially torn medial collateral ligament after a knee-on-knee hit from Derek Roy in the last minute of Wednesday's 3-1 loss to the Sabres in Buffalo. Unfortunately, he was ..."

Reddox bruised and battered but no headache

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November 13

Edmonton Journal

"Liam Reddox says his cranium's fine, but the rest of his body feels like somebody dropped him from a second-story window onto a sidewalk. The Edmonton Oilers winger said he had no headache in the aftermath of getting plowed into the boards by Clarke MacArthur in Buffalo on Wednesday. Fact is, he can remember everything that happened, unlike last season when Ben Eager ripped an elbow into his face at Chicago and he got a concussion. It's unclear whether Reddox will play on Sunday against the Atlanta Thrashers, but for now, the Oilers haven't called up anybody from their American Hockey League farm team at Springfield. The Oilers sent Ryan O'Marra back to the farm on Thursday and only have ..."

Quinn needs to stop the bleeding

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November 13

Edmonton Journal

"Pat Quinn is in a cranky mood, and it doesn't have anything to do with his righteous indignation at Buffalo Sabres winger Clarke MacArthur for his hit on Edmonton Oilers winger Liam Reddox in Wednesday night's game. Reddox was sore on Thursday after being spilled into the boards by MacArthur, but didn't seem as angry as his boss Quinn, who knows he is piloting a very average hockey team (18 points in 19 games, 11th in the Western Conference) these days. As the Oilers wait to play Ilya Kovalchuk and the Atlanta Thrashers on Sunday, Quinn sees a club with two wins in the last 10 games and a paltry two wins on the road. Moral victories are fine, yet trotting out the ..."

Colitis sidelines Oilers' Pisani again

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November 13

Edmonton Journal

"Edmonton Oilers' defenceman Denis Grebeshkov has a sprained knee, which put him on the shelf for several weeks, and winger Fernando Pisani has had a recurrence of his ulcerative colitis and has flown home to see his doctor. Winger Patrick O'Sullivan also left practice early today, hobbling with a sore foot after he blocked a Chris Butler shot while killing a penalty in Buffalo Wednesday in their 3-1 loss. The good news: Liam Reddox, who crashed into the boards against the Sabres and hurt his back, wrist and ankle, skated and should be ready for the Thrashers Sunday afternoon. Shawn Horcoff, who has missed four games with a sore shoulder, practised with the team for the first time. Winger ..."

Edmonton Oilers worth $166M US: Forbes magazine

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November 12

Edmonton Journal

"Forbes magazine has released its much-anticipated annual survey of the value of the National Hockey League's 30 franchises. The latest Forbes rankings, which reflect data compiled by the U.S. business magazine's editors for the 2008-2009 NHL season, show the Edmonton Oilers holding down 24th spot, with an estimated value of $166 million US. That's down from last year, when the Oilers ranked as the 20th most valuable NHL franchise, with an estimated worth of $175 million. As usual, the latest Forbes survey (forbes.com/nhl) shows the Toronto Maple Leafs holding down top spot in the league. The club is valued at $470 million, $54 million more than the second-place New York Rangers. The ..."

O'Marra's big-league audition cut short

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November 12

Edmonton Journal

"In a perfect world, a player scores on his first shot in his first NHL game, or gets the winner on a breakaway with a minute left, but sometimes you just want to make the game, never mind play it. Ryan O'Marra needed a police escort -- actually he was in the car, not behind it in a cab--to get to the rink in Ottawa on time Tuesday. He missed the entire pre-game warm-up, but the 22-year-old forward was on the bench for O Canada, waiting six minutes to get his feet wet, on his first shift, "chipping it in, chipping it out, keeping it simple." Considering how poorly O'Marra played last season in Springfield where he was a healthy scratch for 20 Falcons games, and only had one goal and 10 ..."

Scary moment for Reddox

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November 12

Edmonton Journal

"Liam Reddox wasn't knocked out when propelled into the boards late in the third period Wednesday, but his head was about the only thing that didn't hurt as he lay on the ice, motionless for a couple of minutes before wobbling to the locker-room. "My lower back is sore, so is my wrist and I cut my ankle with my own skate when I got my legs tangled," said the Edmonton Oilers winger, who never lost consciousness but was in a lot of pain before getting to his feet after being hit him from behind by Buffalo Sabres' Clarke MacArthur. "Just a race for the puck on the (penalty-kill) and might have taken a bad angle at (the puck) ... but I wanted to get there before him, said Reddox, who crashed ..."

Bounced in Buffalo

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November 12

Edmonton Journal

"The Edmonton Oilers' inability to score the tying goal during a five-minute power play in the final six minutes of their NHL game against the Buffalo Sabres cost them two points on Wednesday night. The Oilers, who tried to extract a pound of flesh from the Sabres after forward Clarke MacArthur sent winger Liam Reddox into the boards, but did not knock him out, couldn't find a way to beat goalie Ryan Miller during the long man advantage and tumbled 3-1 to the Sabres. "I was walking around on eggshells, watching the last power play on TV," said MacArthur, who apologized profusely for the hit on the defenceless Reddox. The Oilers, however, couldn't make MacArthur pay for his sins. Not only ..."

Oilers snake-bitten again

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November 12

Edmonton Sun

"An error in judgment by Buffalo Sabres forward Clarke MacArthur opened the door, but the Edmonton Oilers weren't able to burst through it. Last night with the Sabres up by a goal, MacArthur ran Liam Reddox from behind, giving the Oilers a five-minute power play late in the third period. However, the closest the Oilers would come to scoring was ringing a shot off the goalpost as the Sabres went on to win 3-1. "It's tough -- the longer you go without scoring on that power play the more difficult it becomes," said Oilers forward Patrick O'Sullivan. "We weren't able to get our units set and we were scrambling around. But saying all that, we still had some chances. I hit the post and Gags (Sam ..."

Khabibulin in Oilers' net against Sabres

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November 11

Edmonton Journal

"Last time the Edmonton Oilers played the Buffalo Sabres, the fans were shouting "we want 10." They were Oilers fans, derisively firing shots at the local squad which was being pummelled at Rexall Place last Jan. 27. The fans got their wish. Buffalo won 10-2, the most humiliating home loss, ever. Not only that Oilers' longtime equipment manager Barrie Stafford's nephew Drew had the biggest knife, sticking it in and twisting it. He scored three times. The Oilers players, at least the ones who suffered through the debacle in Edmonton, might want to extra a few pounds of flesh this time around. On the surface, it should be a fair fight — the Sabres have lost three of their last four after a ..."

MacIntyre's Oilers days over after Panthers' waiver claim

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November 11

Edmonton Journal

"Edmonton Oilers slugger Steve MacIntyre's ticket to the NHL was punched with his clenched fists, and now the big guy may be rejoining the Florida Panthers. Before he gets to the state of Florida, however, he's in the state of limbo. The Panthers, who lost MacIntyre on waivers to the Oilers in the fall of 2008 when Edmonton wanted his brand of justice, reclaimed the six-foot-five, 250-pound winger on Tuesday. But Florida wanted to send MacIntyre to their American Hockey League farm club in Rochester, so he is back on waivers in order to get to the minors. If he clears today, he'll be going to the farm team for a spell, but he hopes to be back in the NHL in time to see the Oilers when they ..."

Oilers never meant much to Clouston

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November 11

Edmonton Journal

"There was no tug on Ottawa Senators coach Cory Clouston's heartstrings when he coached against the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday, even though he grew up 65 minutes from Edmonton, moved to Sherwood Park, and played for the University of Alberta Golden Bears. Clouston was never dying to get an Oilers sweater under the Christmas tree, and he wasn't running out to the back 40 to play ball hockey, pretending he was Wayne Gretzky, because he's from Viking. "Sutter country," said Clouston, who won a national title with the Bears when he played for former Oilers assistant coach Billy Moores in 1992. "The town was always divided-- Oilers or New York Islanders. Big rivalry. My mum and Mrs. Sutter ..."

Sens trounce Oilers in SO

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November 11

Edmonton Journal

"Dustin Penner gave the Ottawa Senators fans a sneak peek at what they're missing and Andrew Cogliano skated quick miles in his best game in six weeks as both players made points as residue of the Dany Heatley trade that wasn't. Unfortunately, the Edmonton Oilers didn't get two points of their own on Tuesday. As industriously as the Oilers played, finally outshooting a team for the first time since opening night, and after getting yeoman work from captain Ethan Moreau, who had five shots and scored, Edmonton still fell 4-3 to the Senators in a shootout at Scotiabank Place. As hard as the Oilers played, they needed Gilbert Brule's fortuitous bounce off Ottawa goalie Pascal Leclaire's arm ..."

Oilers snake-bitten in Ottawa

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November 11

Edmonton Sun

"Perhaps outshooting opponents isn't the best way to go. Last night the Edmonton Oilers played arguably their best road game of the season, yet came up short in a 4-3 shootout loss to the Ottawa Senators. Jason Spezza scored the winner in the shootout as his effort hit the post then banked off goaltender Jeff Deslauriers into the net. "Our overall game was pretty good," said Oilers head coach Pat Quinn. "I don't like the goals that went in on us. I had a problem with how the last one (third) went in for sure, because there was interference on our goaltender and it was offside as well. "I guess you have to live with that stuff, but it makes it hard. But it was probably our best three periods ..."

A different kind of hero

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November 11

Edmonton Sun

"The words are thrown around loosely these days, diminishing their true meaning. Hockey teams talk about going to war, winning battles in the trenches and fighting for their lives. But today, as we honour those that know the real definition of combat, those terms ring hollow when referenced to professional sports. For Edmonton Oilers winger Ryan Stone, Remembrance Day hits close to home. His grandfather Murray Copot served in the Second World War. "His ship got torpedoed and he was in the ocean with another guy," said Stone. "They grabbed onto a big piece of wood and held on to it until they were rescued. There weren't too many people that survived that day." Copot was on the HMCS Alberni ..."

Senators squeeze past Oilers in shootout

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November 11

Ottawa Citizen

"In late October, Pascal Leclaire was a shadow of his former self, dropping a good 10 pounds while fighting the flu. Now that he's back to full health, the Ottawa Senators needed their number one goaltender to stop fighting the puck. Leclaire entered Tuesday's game against the Edmonton Oilers aiming to rediscover the form he showcased in the first couple of the weeks — not the game with the holes he had displayed against the New Jersey Devils, Tampa Bay Lightning and Atlanta Thrashers, uneven efforts which had resulted in his save percentage dipping below the .900 mark. Leclaire was also trying to erase some personal bad memories. The last time he faced the Oilers, before his ankle surgery, ..."

Panthers grab MacIntyre from Oilers

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November 10

Edmonton Journal

"Edmonton Oilers' slugger Steve MacIntyre will be taking his brand of "fistic" justice back to the Florida Panthers after they claimed him off waivers today. When the Oilers were in need of a heavyweight during training camp in 2009 they grabbed the six-foot-five, 250-pound MacIntyre off the Panthers after seeing him protect his teammates in exhibition action. He was a fan favourite in Edmonton, playing in 22 games last season. He was willing to tussle with all the true toughies like Minnesota's six-foot-eight Derek Boogaard and Calgary's Brian McGrattan, but new Oilers coach Pat Quinn had only played MacIntyre four of his club's 17 games, and for 6:16 total. Quinn wants to roll four lines, ..."

Oilers call up O'Marra

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November 10

Edmonton Sun

"The Edmonton Oilers have called up another reinforcement from the Springfield Falcons in the form of forward Ryan O'Marra for their game against the Ottawa Senators tonight. With the team already short-handed heading out on their current five-game road trip, the club was forced to call up O'Marra as defenceman Taylor Chorney and winger Robert Nilsson went down with injuries. Chorney sprained his ankle in the 5-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche Sunday, while Nilsson is suffering concussion-type symptoms after taking a hit in the contest. O'Marra has two goals and two assists in 15 games for the Falcons this season. On a positive note, Ladislav Smid will be back in the lineup tonight, ..."

Oilers hotter than Heatley

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November 10

Edmonton Journal

"It would be a hoot if Andrew Cogliano, Dustin Penner and Ladislav Smid all came out wearing Dany Heatley Senators' jerseys in the pregame warm-up tonight, but where would you find three Heatley No. 15 sweaters in this town? "I wore the jersey at our Halloween party, but that's as far as I'll go," said the Edmonton Oilers centre Cogliano, who saw Penner dressed as a No-Trade Clause at the same function last month. Cogliano, Penner and Smid were offered for Heatley in late June, before Heatley exercised his right to veto the trade to the Oilers, later winding up at his preferred address, San Jose. "Jesus, that would be too much, all of us in his jersey...but I think we should wait until we ..."

MacIntyre placed on waivers

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November 10

Edmonton Journal

"Steve MacIntyre, whose idea of a good meal is a knuckle sandwich, won't be digging in with the Edmonton Oilers any longer. MacIntyre was put on waivers on Monday. If he clears, he'll go to the Oilers' American Hockey League farm team at Springfield. If another team wants a legitimate heavyweight, he'll move on to do the dirty job for that NHL club. There's a possibility that Mac-Intyre, who was claimed by the Oilers from Florida during the 2008 training camp, might wind up back with the Panthers. They don't have a real bodyguard. The Carolina Hurricanes and Tampa Bay Lightning are other teams which could use a watchman. The teams in the Northwest Division who see MacIntyre the most have ..."

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